My grandpa started working on these before WW2 and retired from Lockheed working on the SR-71. Even into his 90s he kept up on aerospace development having witnessed the full arc of airpower's coming of age.
My dad worked for Chrysler Missile in the 50s, then for Rocketdyne after moving to California in 1959. After a near meltdown (that I never knew about until watching an episode of Modern Marvels), he went to work at Lockheed in Burbank and then in Rye Canyon. He also worked on the SR-71. He quit when Boeing got the contract for the SST.
My father served on a destroyer (DD403) in WW2. He said the P38 was the only fighter that they could always recognize flying overhead. Some other allied fighters got shot down chasing German planes above their convoys.
Saw Lefty with White Lightning at Reno in 82. Most unusual in that not only did he race it, he also performed an aerobatic display as well. So happy to see it still flying.
For me, it also became a special machine very in early life, because my father, as a young man, was harassed (but not shot at) by a Lightning while walking in Germany. Because of my father's exciting story, the P-38 has taken on a special significance for me.
@@blaumupi Maybe the American pilot was just messing with him? I grew up with a lot of World War II veterans and none of them relished killing. In fact they would tear up talking about it.
@@2steaksandwiches665 Hello! I did not want to judge the US Piot in general! German pilots also shot at civilians. The pilot of the P-38 lost sight of my father and searched for him for a long time. No idea what his intention was? Maybe bad intentions, maybe just curiosity? But it was not so rare that, especially in 1945, people working in the fields and cows were shot at. Possibly it was also out of "boredom" of not finding targets after a long flight? Nevertheless, I love the beautifull P-38!
Excellent video. Due to the very long flights made by USAAF P-38s in the Pacific "theater", (civilian) aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh was sent to a squadron as a consultant on long-range flight techniques. The pilots had been instructed in the US to reduce Cruise Prop RPMs to a minimum of "X". Lindbergh either already knew, or immed. figured out that pilots needed to reduce cruise rpms to a lower setting "Y", to achieve a better/longer maximum range. This might have saved numerous pilots from ditching. What cost some pilots their lives in Europe, maybe also in the Pacific, was the complexity of managing the original Allison engines: too many engine controls to adjust while in combat. Allison then designed an engine which had an auto function, possibly auto fuel mixture control (?) for different altitudes and manifold pressure settings? This auto function gave pilots more time to check their "6 o' clock" and other areas for "bandits." Some British pilots also flew the P-38 iirc.
All Lindbergh did was use the *correct* settings as listed in the Lockheed manual. Those are "auto lean" mixture, manifold pressure set to 32", props set to maintain 1600 RPM. The better, smarter pilots trained themselves to use the engine controls by muscle memory without looking. So they could quickly set the props to fine pitch, set the mixture control to "auto rich", and open the throttles, in that order. They also knew to set their oil cooler and radiator doors by muscle memory without looking. They actually practiced doing those things. Yes, the P-38 had controls for each engine. But they were both in the same place, and operate the same way. You had to do all the same things in a single engine fighter. You just had to do it to only one engine.
Bullshit the P-38 was about on par with the MIG-3 at the start of the war in terms of speed, but late war piston engine fighters like the Focke-Wulf Ta152 were way faster, 100 kph
Thank you Red Bull for preserving History.
My grandpa started working on these before WW2 and retired from Lockheed working on the SR-71. Even into his 90s he kept up on aerospace development having witnessed the full arc of airpower's coming of age.
Really! Same as my grandpa started in Lockheed on the P-38 and also finished there after the SR-71. In Burbank right!?
@@ryanr775 yes
My Uncle flew them for the 475th Satan’s angel, during WW2 and shot down multiple Japanese Zeros making him an Ace pilot.
My dad worked for Chrysler Missile in the 50s, then for Rocketdyne after moving to California in 1959. After a near meltdown (that I never knew about until watching an episode of Modern Marvels), he went to work at Lockheed in Burbank and then in Rye Canyon. He also worked on the SR-71. He quit when Boeing got the contract for the SST.
My father served on a destroyer (DD403) in WW2. He said the P38 was the only fighter that they could always recognize flying overhead. Some other allied fighters got shot down chasing German planes above their convoys.
Awesome, except they are considered interceptors, not fighters
@@sammuller1784 it fulfilled many roles, but it was a Fighter at the end of the day
@@thekindpenguin7497One of its design requirements was for it to climb to 20,000 ft in 6 minutes or less to intercept bombers.
Saw Lefty with White Lightning at Reno in 82. Most unusual in that not only did he race it, he also performed an aerobatic display as well. So happy to see it still flying.
The sound of this aircraft making a low pass is like nothing else. I love it.
Amazing. My great uncle got shot down and died in one of these. Special place in my heart. RIP.
For me, it also became a special machine very in early life, because my father, as a young man, was harassed (but not shot at) by a Lightning while walking in Germany. Because of my father's exciting story, the P-38 has taken on a special significance for me.
@@blaumupi Maybe the American pilot was just messing with him? I grew up with a lot of World War II veterans and none of them relished killing. In fact they would tear up talking about it.
@@2steaksandwiches665 Hello! I did not want to judge the US Piot in general! German pilots also shot at civilians.
The pilot of the P-38 lost sight of my father and searched for him for a long time. No idea what his intention was? Maybe bad intentions, maybe just curiosity? But it was not so rare that, especially in 1945, people working in the fields and cows were shot at. Possibly it was also out of "boredom" of not finding targets after a long flight?
Nevertheless, I love the beautifull P-38!
P38 is such a sexy aircraft... Absolutely beautiful.
Damm! I'd think it would be amazing to fly for Red Bull! looks so cool!
Always been such a gorgeous aircraft. Love it!
Great footage.
🦘🇦🇺👍
Lefty and the Lightning; Lefty flys with the angels and N25Y sadly left the USA; thanks for the memories
a beauty AND a beast! Wonderfull plane!
MOST BEAUTIFUL AIRPLANE EVER BUILT!!
Such amazing metal work. Gorgeous
My two favorite planes.
This looks like an earlier version of the Lightning than one manufactured in 1944. It is the swept back air scoops on the lower area of the cowls.
Wow amazing..
Never thought I'd get to see one of my fav planes in War thunder in flight ❤ (P38L-5-LO)
I can imagine it being much faster without the 50’s in it’s nose. Beautiful aircraft!
Wow this is so amazing. Wow👍
This was so deadly that German pilots nicknamed it 'der Gabelschwanz-Teufel' or fork-tailed devil.
Coolest looking aircraft ever.
Absolutely my favorite plane from history second is the a-10 and third is the spitfire
AMAZING
Interesting that they have plated over the air intake scoops under the trailing edges of the wings.
*He mentioned the top speed of this one is around 400 knots* 0:36
*that's ~460 mph*
*then it says MAX SPEED: 760 KM/H or ~472 mph* 0:48
Thank you for mentioning White Lightening.
! The most beautiful twin-engine airplane in the world!
*Star Wars naboo style.
mon pere et mon grand frere ont assistes aux vols de cet appareil durant l'annee 1944 lors de la liberation en france
Excellent video.
Due to the very long flights made by USAAF P-38s in the Pacific "theater", (civilian) aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh was sent to a squadron as a consultant on long-range flight techniques.
The pilots had been instructed in the US to reduce Cruise Prop RPMs to a minimum of "X". Lindbergh either already knew, or immed. figured out that pilots needed to reduce cruise rpms to a lower setting "Y", to achieve a better/longer maximum range. This might have saved numerous pilots from ditching.
What cost some pilots their lives in Europe, maybe also in the Pacific, was the complexity of managing the original Allison engines: too many engine controls to adjust while in combat.
Allison then designed an engine which had an auto function, possibly auto fuel mixture control (?) for different altitudes and manifold pressure settings?
This auto function gave pilots more time to check their "6 o' clock" and other areas for "bandits." Some British pilots also flew the P-38 iirc.
All Lindbergh did was use the *correct* settings as listed in the Lockheed manual. Those are "auto lean" mixture, manifold pressure set to 32", props set to maintain 1600 RPM.
The better, smarter pilots trained themselves to use the engine controls by muscle memory without looking. So they could quickly set the props to fine pitch, set the mixture control to "auto rich", and open the throttles, in that order. They also knew to set their oil cooler and radiator doors by muscle memory without looking. They actually practiced doing those things.
Yes, the P-38 had controls for each engine. But they were both in the same place, and operate the same way.
You had to do all the same things in a single engine fighter. You just had to do it to only one engine.
ON 9 SEPTEMBER, 1943. THE IMPERIAL JAPANESE ARMY AIR FORCE LEADER, 中薗盛孝. HE WAS KILLED BY A P-38G OVER CANTON/GUANGZHOU, CHINA
This and the mosquito 😍😍😍😍
Classic fighter
I think the removal of the guns made it fast too,but u may be mistaken
So this is where Lefty Gardner's White Lightnin' ended up huh? Bring it back to Reno and race it again!
No good in a dogfight but a good hit and run aircraft.
Faster than original p38
A great way to spend your lottery winnings
This should be a premium in war thunder 😅
It's a regular in war thunder
Saying it for the skin
Flying bulls..Because Breitling forgot its roots and didn't do it.
Bullshit the P-38 was about on par with the MIG-3 at the start of the war in terms of speed, but late war piston engine fighters like the Focke-Wulf Ta152 were way faster, 100 kph
Im hoping red bull can get their hands on a F-14
Corsair divebomber us navy
Schade daß man als Pilot nicht besser englisch spricht... klingt ja ärger als Schwarzenegger
I wouldn't fly that thing again until you check out the valve guides and piston rings in both engines.
The smoke is an oil based injection into the exhaust.....
Great aircraft but not the fastest. The Germans managed the fastest, the Dornier Do 335 Pfeil, followed by the british Mosquito.
A German flying a P-38??
he should marry an american woman